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Sunday 8 December 2024 – Second Week of Advent (Year C)
Mass
Readings: Bar 5:1-9 Ps 126
Phil 1:4-6. 8-11 Lk 3:1-6
Key
Verse to Meditate: "The
voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make
his paths straight (Lk 3:4).
Dear
Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
We are in the
Second Sunday of Advent, a season of hope and preparation. Today’s liturgy of
the Word invites us to rejoice and ready our hearts for the coming of the
Savior. In the First Reading, the Prophet Baruch exhorts Jerusalem to “put on
the robe of righteousness that comes from God” (Bar 5:2). Similarly, St. Paul
urges the Philippians to “produce the harvest of righteousness that comes
through Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:11).
Indeed, we are
called to clothe ourselves in the righteousness bestowed by God. The Righteous
One, who is coming to dwell among us, is the Savior, who will rule His people
with justice and establish a kingdom of righteousness (cf. Jer 23:5; Is 32:1).
In the Gospel, John the Baptist echoes this call, urging us to repent and
prepare the way of the Lord.
First
Reading: Arise, Jerusalem
In today’s
First Reading, the Prophet Baruch presents a vision of hope and joy for
Jerusalem. The city, which housed the Temple, the sacred dwelling of God, is
summoned to “arise” and witness the fulfilment of God’s promises. The scattered
children of Israel are seen returning from the east and west, for it is the
Lord who gathers His people and restores their glory.
Baruch assures
Jerusalem that God has not abandoned His people; He has always remained
faithful to His covenant. The prophet boldly declares: “Take off the garment of
your sorrow and affliction, O Jerusalem, and put on forever the beauty of the
glory from God. Put on the robe of righteousness that comes from God” (Bar
5:1-2).
This invitation
to hope and renewal reminds us of Jesus’ lament over Jerusalem during His
ministry. Foreseeing His rejection by the Jewish authorities and His impending
death, Jesus expressed His longing to gather His people: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed
to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,
and you were not willing” (Mt 23:37).
Just as
Baruch’s vision encouraged Jerusalem to rise and embrace God’s promise, we too
are called to shed our sorrows and open our hearts to the transformative power
of God’s righteousness.
Second
Reading: The Completion of Good Work
In the Second
Reading, St. Paul offers a profound reflection on God’s faithfulness. He
assures the Philippians that the work of grace, which began in their hearts
through their reception of the Gospel, will be brought to completion on the day
of Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 1:6).
This “good
work” echoes the creation story in Genesis, where God saw that all He created
was good (Gen 1:31). In the New Testament, St. Paul reveals that God is now
engaged in a new work of recreation—a life of grace in His people—which will
reach its fulfilment at Christ’s second coming (cf. 1 Thess 4:17; 1 Cor 15:55).
Through their participation in the Gospel, the Philippians are called to live
transformed lives, cooperating with God’s saving work (cf. Phil 2:12-13). For
St. Paul, the “day of Jesus Christ” represents the eschatological culmination
of life in Christ—a moment when the faithful will experience the fullness of
God’s salvation.
Producing
the Harvest of Righteousness
St. Paul
emphasizes that God is both the initiator and the fulfiller of all good
works—both in creation and in the hearts of His people. He expresses his deep
longing for the Philippians, urging them to grow in love for one another and to
remain pure and blameless in preparation for the Lord’s glorious return (cf.
Phil 1:10). What matters most for St. Paul is that they produce the “harvest of
righteousness” that comes through Jesus Christ alone (Phil 1:11). This
righteousness, rooted in grace, transforms lives and glorifies God. Paul’s
encouragement reminds us that the God who began a good work in us is faithful
to bring it to completion (cf. Phil 1:6). Like the Philippians, we too are
invited to participate in this divine work, living lives of righteousness,
love, and grace as we await the coming of our Lord.
The
Gospel Reading
In today’s
Gospel, we hear the proclamation of John the Baptist in the wilderness. By
introducing John’s mission with an Old Testament quotation, Luke firmly
situates John within God’s divine plan, demonstrating that his ministry fulfils
the prophecy of Isaiah.
In ancient
times, when a king planned to travel through his kingdom, messengers would be
sent ahead to prepare the way. Similarly, John the Baptist was sent by God to
prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry. Later, during His own Galilean ministry,
Jesus followed a similar practice by sending seventy disciples ahead to prepare
the towns and villages He planned to visit.
"The
Word of God Came to John"
A striking
feature of today’s Gospel is the declaration: “The word of God came to John in
the wilderness” (Lk 3:2). John had been waiting, meditating, and listening for
God’s voice, and when the word came, he responded with unwavering obedience,
beginning his ministry of calling people to repentance and preparing the way
for the Lord.
The phrase “the
word of God came” is not unique to John; it echoes through Scripture,
highlighting pivotal moments in salvation history.
To
Moses: The word of God came to Moses in
the wilderness, through the burning bush. After fleeing Egypt in fear, Moses
encountered God’s presence while tending Jethro’s flock. The bush burned but
was not consumed, prompting Moses to say, “I must turn aside now and see this
marvelous sight” (Ex 3:3). This Advent, we too are invited to turn aside from
our daily routines, look for the “burning bushes” in our lives, and listen for
God’s word.
To
Samuel: As a boy, Samuel served in the
temple under Eli. The word of God came to him repeatedly, yet Samuel initially
failed to recognize God’s call. With Eli’s guidance, Samuel eventually
responded: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Sam 3:10). Like
Samuel, we must attune our hearts to discern and respond to God’s call.
To
Jonah: The word of God came to Jonah with
a command to go to Nineveh and preach repentance. Initially, Jonah fled,
choosing his own path. After a dramatic encounter with a great fish and a
heartfelt prayer of repentance, Jonah received God’s word a second time. This
time, he obeyed, delivering God’s message to Nineveh (Jon 3:1-3). Jonah’s story
reminds us of God’s patience and willingness to give us second chances.
To
Elijah: The prophet Elijah encountered
God’s word in an extraordinary moment of fear and isolation. Fleeing Jezebel,
he hid in a cave, seeking a sign from the Lord. God’s presence was not in the
mighty wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in a gentle whisper (1 Kgs
19:12-13). This teaches us that God often speaks in quiet, subtle ways,
requiring us to still our hearts to hear His voice.
God’s
Word in the New Testament
In the New
Testament, we find numerous examples of God’s word coming to ordinary people:
Zechariah: The word of God came to the father of John the Baptist, announcing
the miraculous birth of a son who would prepare the way of the Lord (Lk 1:11).
Mary: The word of God came to Mary through the angel Gabriel, declaring
her the chosen mother of the Savior (Lk 1:26-38).
Joseph: In a dream, Joseph received God’s word, calling him to take Mary
as his wife and become the earthly father of Jesus (Mt 1:20).
The
Shepherds: God’s word came to humble shepherds
through angels, proclaiming the birth of the Messiah (Lk 2:9-11).
Who
is John the Baptist?
The central
figure of today’s Gospel is St. John the Baptist. John was the son of
Zechariah, a priest who served in the temple of Jerusalem (Lk 3:2), and
Elizabeth, his righteous wife. Elizabeth conceived John by the grace of God, an
event announced to Mary as a sign of God’s power and providence. Luke tells us
that John was filled with and guided by the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s
womb (Lk 1:13, 15).
Zechariah, in
his prophetic canticle, the Benedictus, foretold John’s mission: “And you,
child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the
Lord to prepare His ways” (Lk 1:76). John, led by the Spirit, was sent ahead of
Christ to proclaim the good news of His coming and to prepare the people for
the arrival of the Messiah.
A
Life of Repentance
Repentance is a
central theme in Luke’s Gospel, as seen in the parable of the prodigal son and
other episodes. The word “repentance” appears eleven times as a noun and
fourteen times as a verb in Luke-Acts, underscoring its significance.
John’s primary
message was one of repentance, urging people to prepare for the coming of the
Lord. He traveled throughout the region of the Jordan, proclaiming “a baptism
of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Lk 3:3). In Luke-Acts, the
connection between repentance and forgiveness of sins is emphasized (Lk 24:47;
Acts 2:38; 5:31). Forgiveness of sins signifies the salvation that God offers
(Lk 1:77; 24:47).
For the Jewish
people, repentance was a prerequisite for baptism. Those baptized pledged to
live a new way of life, marked by an inward transformation. This deep inner
change was the essence of John’s message. He emphasized that repentance
delivers individuals from the burden, penalty, and bondage of sin, calling for
a human response to God’s offer of salvation.
John identified
himself as the one prophesied by Isaiah: “The voice of one crying out in the
wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight’” (Is 40:3-4;
cf. Lk 3:4; Jn 1:23). His mission was to prepare people’s hearts to accept the
Messiah. He proclaimed, “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and
hill shall be made low; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Lk
3:5-6; cf. Is 40:3-5).
This imagery of
levelling valleys and mountains symbolized removing obstacles to create a
straight path, echoing the need for spiritual preparation and transformation in
anticipation of the Lord.
Preparing
the Way for the Lord
In this season
of Advent, we are all called to prepare our hearts to welcome Christ, the Light
of the World. Preparing the way for the Lord involves making our hearts ready
to receive Him.
The beloved
Christmas carol Joy to the World invites us to sing, “Let every heart prepare
Him room.” This sentiment echoes John’s call for repentance and readiness. The
early Church Father Tertullian, writing in the second century, described John’s
invitation as a call to prepare the “home of our hearts” by cleansing it,
making it a fitting dwelling for the Holy Spirit.
The
Valleys of My Life
Can we hear the
voice of John the Baptist speaking to us today? He proclaims: “Every valley
shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; the crooked
shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth” (Lk 3:5). At
the heart of his message is a call for humility before God (cf. Lk 1:48, 51-52;
2:24).
Valleys, as we
know, are low-lying areas between hills or mountains. In today’s Gospel, St.
John the Baptist, while preaching a baptism of repentance, calls for every
valley to be filled. John, who carried out his mission in the Jordan Valley,
understood the significance of this imagery.
Now, I must ask
myself: What are the valleys in my life that need to be filled as part of my
preparation to welcome the Lord?
Perhaps it is
the valley of criticism—of others or even myself.
Maybe I dwell
in the valley of grief, guilt, shame, or embarrassment.
As a Christian
disciple, I might remain stuck in the valleys of failure, regret,
disappointment, or fear.
The birth of
our Savior has come to level all these valleys. It is time for me to rise from
these low places in my life, to confront the root causes of what keeps me bound
there, and to let God’s grace transform me.
To
Be Made Low
St. John the
Baptist also declares that “every hill and mountain must be made low” because
the Most High God is coming to walk among us. This call challenges us to adopt
an inner attitude of humility as we prepare for Christ’s coming.
The mountains
and hills symbolize the barriers in our hearts—pride, arrogance, and
self-sufficiency—that prevent us from recognizing God’s salvation. These
“heights” must be brought low to make way for the Savior. John uses these
metaphors to invite us to repentance.
To be made low
means embracing humility, as Luke emphasizes throughout his Gospel: “He has
brought down the mighty from their thrones” (Lk 1:52); “For everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk 14:11;
18:14).
No sin should
block our path to knowing and receiving God wholeheartedly. No sin is too great
for God’s mercy. As John continues, “the crooked shall be made straight, and
the rough ways made smooth.” We must ask ourselves:
All
Humanity Will See God’s Salvation
Finally, Luke
quotes the words of the Prophet Isaiah: “And all flesh shall see the salvation
of God” (Is 40:5; Lk 3:6). This echoes the first reading from the Prophet
Baruch, where salvation is described as a universal gift from God.
Luke emphasizes
that salvation is not just for a select group but for everyone, particularly
the downtrodden and sinners. John the Baptist’s mission was to prepare the way
for God’s Anointed King, who would establish a kingdom of peace and justice.
This universal
nature of the Gospel is a cornerstone of Luke’s message: “A light of revelation
to the Gentiles” (Lk 2:32). Jesus Christ came to offer salvation to every
person, regardless of status or background.
Points
for Personal Reflection
A
Call to Action
As we journey
through Advent, let us heed the call of John the Baptist. Like him, may we live
lives led by the Spirit, preparing the way for Christ through repentance,
forgiveness, and transformation. Let us clear the paths of our hearts, levelling
every obstacle, so that the King of Glory may enter and reside within us.
As we prepare the way of the Lord, may our hearts become a fitting
dwelling place for the Savior, who comes to offer salvation to all.
Preparing for the Lord's Coming: As we prepare for the Lord’s coming, let us reflect on these questions:
What
are the valleys in my life that I need to rise from?
Are they
valleys of despair, guilt, criticism, or fear? How can I allow God’s grace to
lift me from these low places?
What
mountains and hills in my life need to be levelled?
Are they
barriers of pride, selfishness, or complacency? How can I humble myself to make
way for the Lord?
What
is crooked in my life that needs to be set straight?
Are there areas
of dishonesty, unkindness, or spiritual neglect that I need to address? How can
I realign my path with God’s will?
What
are the rough ways I am currently traveling through?
Are they marked
by struggles, conflicts, or unresolved issues? How can I trust in God to smooth
these rough paths?
A Time for Transformation
Advent is a time of hope, renewal, and preparation. It is an invitation to turn away from distractions and focus on the transformative power of God’s Word. Let us open our hearts to listen, reflect, and act, so that when the Word becomes flesh, He may find in us a dwelling place prepared for His presence. Amen.
